Elcenia/WMG

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The Barashin gods are (benevolent) Eldritch Abominations

This is why they don't usually let people see their true forms.

  • I don't think I'd call the gods benevolent. They don't actively hurt people, but they don't do a lot to help either. For example, there is no good reason give why the gods didn't save the person Rhysel failed to save at the beginning. It's possible that they were better off in the afterlife, but that doesn't explain why they lived that long. It's possible that at some point it becomes worth while to leave to the afterlife, but it's unlikely to coincide with the accident. Even if it did, it's heavily implied that people believed in a causal link between the death and the accident, implying that this happens often. If this was written by a religious person, I could understand them not thinking of it that way, but it was written by a transhumanist.

The Barashin gods didn't want to help Shrens because...

They knew that they will be cured in some other way, but also because they *wanted* those shrens to come to Barashin, seeing dragons/shrens as a mostly benefical influence in the world.

  • Another theory: They didn't want to help because they can speak Draconic, and they know what "shren" means. If it really is the reason dragons don't like shrens, and gods know the language too, then they'd feel the same way.

Alicorn is setting Elcenia up for a magical equivalent of The Singularity.

It seems like all the pieces are in place for an exponential explosion of life standard, life expectancy, and magical capability of every kind:

  • Thanks to Rhysel, kamai talent is no longer scarce, just the skill to use it.
  • There is only one Keo, but it looks like Mind Kamai can be used to transfer skills, so a kama can "teach" whatever skills are needed (plus the skill to transfer skills) to two others, who can each "teach" it to two others, etc..
  • Thanks to Kaylo, channeling capacity is a fungible commodity. This means several things. One is that it can be lent to be pooled for large projects. Another is that as long as people are mortal, the per-capita CC will grow over time, because every Elcenian on their deathbed can be motivated to give away or sell their CC. CC can also be borrowed from infants and returned to them when they can make use of it. Similarly, Wolfrider wolves might have CC but can't use it. In other words, a more efficient allocation of wizardry magic can come about.
    • It would approach a maximum. Only a certain portion of people will have a chance to pass on their CC, rather than dying suddenly. If, for example, half of them pass it on, this will result in double CC. Also, with any luck, "as long as people are mortal" won't be very long at all.
  • Speaking of mortality, with a Death Kama, several non-vampire "reservoirs", and at least 3 young (better yet, infant) Elcenian vampires (2 will do as well, but it's much slower), it is possible to create an arbitrary amount of lifespan while causing no harm. (The way to do it is 1) the infant vampires drink from the "reservoir" person; 1a) safe blood replenishment is limited to once a day, but surplus lifespan can be moved to the "reservoir" from whom the vampire is about to drink; 2) a Death Kama transfers all but a small amount of the vampires' remaining lifespan to "reservoir"; 3) repeat from Step 1.) Though, a possible harm is that it might leave the vampires addicted, but that's what Mind Kamai is for...
    • Another possibility: A single vampire sucks the blood of a god once. They recieve a fraction of an infinite lifespan, which works out to infinite. They use death kami to divide it evenly among finitely many people. Of course, this assumes that the gods have an infinite lifespan, rather than a very long one or a finite, but regenerating, one.

The only obstacles to accelerating, exponential growth in capability of every sort seem to be social (Forbidden Kamai is forbidden) and religious in nature. Barashin gods might object to the immortal competition. Also, all of these things can lead to an utter disaster if mishandled or abused. (Arguably, they already have, in Ryganaav.) So, Singularity ahoy!